Military personell--what branches have you been in, and which do you find that you've liked best?

Question

Air Force for me, all the way. :)

Answer 1

As a Navy liaison officer to the 7th AF in Vietnam, I found the Navy best suited my tastes. As I watched the Air Force at work, bombing Hanoi and other exotic places, I was dismayed by the micromanaging of the AF tactical control center in Saigon. They controlled every roll in, every bomb or rocket...it was just too much.

On the other side of the coin, the Navy's aviators had far more leeway and choices when on mission in Vietnam. To be sure, they were given primary targets while in the ready rooms on board their aircraft carriers, but that was it. End of story...end of control by anyone other than the pilot and bombardier if any.

The difference in microcontrol is historic. Armies, from which the AF was created, were historically controlled by their generals sitting on a horse (or whatever) watching the battle unfold and controlling troop movements by runner or signal flags or whatever. The point is, high command in the Army had direct control over the troops in the field. Not so with the Navy.

In the days of wooden ships and iron men, the Admiral, who sat on the nicest/biggest flag ship in a flotilla, would give his ships' captains a briefing once, when they were invited onto the flag ship. Then the captains went back to their individual commands and sailed ahead, more or less according to the tactics outlined while on the flag ship. There was little, if any, communication between the flag ship and the others in the flotilla during battle.

Not to say there was none, flags and reflecting mirrors were used occasionally to coordinate movements among the ships in the flotilla. But such movements were preplanned during that one visit to the flag ship. In other words, ships captains were pretty much on their own during battle...unlike the field commanders in the Army.

I, personally, enjoyed the autonomy I got to carry out whatever tactics or mission I was assigned. Having someone look over my shoulder at every turn, like the tactical control center in Saigon, would have forced me out of service to my country in short order.

Answer 2

Aim High, sleep late and no p.t.
I agree, Air Force is the best.
Yes, we get a lot of flack and jokes made about us, but when it hits the fan and people are miserable they always say "I should've joined the Air Force"
I have also seen a lot of transfers from ALL the other branches of Military service into the Air Force

Answer 3

Back when I was younger and single, I was in the U.S. Navy for 6 years. It was before Desert Storm, and for the most part, peace-time.

What I liked about it the most was the travel. I got to see many different countries I would never have even thought about visiting if I had not been in the Navy.

Answer 4

Air Force myself, along with 2 AF sisters and a current AF niece.

Answer 5

hubby is navy and hates being gone soo much in two week out two weeks then deployed for 7 months